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Friday, September 16, 2016

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 888, Novel Development, Information not Relevant to the Climax

16 September 2016, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part 888, Novel Development, Information not Relevant to the
Climax

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher
has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy. I'll keep you informed.
More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com. Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy
them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.
This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in
installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in
addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel
was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and
tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this
blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example
of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll
keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my
writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production
schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I
employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the
writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage
of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:

1. The initial scene (the
beginning)

2. The rising action

3. The climax

4. The falling action

5. The dénouement

The theme statement
of my 26th novel, working title, Shape, proposed
title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si,
is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry
and rehabilitates her.

Here is the cover proposal for Essie:
Enchantment and the Aos Si. Essie is my 26th novel.

Cover
Proposal

The most important scene in any
novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising
action. I started writing my 28th novel, working title Red Sonja.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene
input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any
novel.

Scene development:

1. Scene input (easy)

2. Scene output (a little
harder)

3. Scene setting (basic stuff)

4. Creativity (creative
elements of the scene)

5. Tension (development of
creative elements to build excitement)

6. Release (climax of creative
elements)

How to begin a novel.Number one thought, we need an entertaining
idea.I usually encapsulate such an idea
with a theme statement.Since I’m
writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.Here is an initial cut.

Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates
the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk,
learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

Here is my list of ways an author
might add extraneous writing to a novel.Let’s look at the second.

1.Material not relevant to the climax
or plot.

2.Characters or character arcs not
relevant to the climax or plot.

3.Side stories.

4.Information not relevant to the climax, setting, or plot.

5.Excessive storylines.

6.Lack of a sufficient telic flaw.

7.Incorrect protagonist.

Most of the time, I get irritated at
writers because they don’t include enough in the setting.Plainly, you can include too much description
and especially description not related to the climax or plot—what about other
information that isn’t necessarily part of the setting or description?

At the risk of repetition, an author
can always provide information that is not relevant to the climax, setting, or
plot.Information in the setting that
isn’t relevant is relatively easy to find and exclude.On the other hand, other information may not
be.I already covered extraneous
characters, so the question is what is other information that isn’t relevant?These are very difficult parts to tease from
the plot.

If you can view your writing in
terms of scenes—identify the scenes that are action based and those that are
conversation based.The immediate
question to ask in this context is does the action and/or the conversation
directly or indirectly support the climax (the telic flaw).I’ll go for indirect as long as you understand
what exactly is indirect.For example,
in our overused detective mystery example, if the conversation or the action
provides a clue to the mystery and the resolution of the climax, the information
isn’t extraneous.Usually, the indicator
of the relevancy of action or conversation is the presence of the
protagonist.In this case, you have an immediate
indicator of relevance—if the protagonist (detective, in this case) is present,
the action and/or conversation is likely relevant.On the other hand, even with the protagonist
present, a discussion of the protagonist’s love for her mother may or may not
be relevant.

I think you get the picture.Again, is the protagonist present?Does the action or conversation support the
telic flaw or the climax?A good author
evaluates every part of the novel for this this kind of relevance of
information.

About Me

L. D. Alford is a novelist whose writing explores with originality those cultures and societies we think we already know. His writing distinctively develops the connections between present events and history—he combines them with threads of reality that bring the past alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he is widely traveled and earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Dayton, and is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the USAF Test Pilot School. L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality. He is the author of three historical fiction novels: Centurion, Aegypt, and The Second Mission, and three science fiction novels: The End of Honor, The Fox’s Honor, and A Season of Honor.